Introduction

From "The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Three Ancient Cuisines" by Jeff Smith (Copywright 1989 by Frugal Gourmet, Inc.) This one of my favorite cookbooks of all time!
From "The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Three Ancient Cuisines" by Jeff Smith (Copywright 1989 by Frugal Gourmet, Inc.) This one of my favorite cookbooks of all time!

Minutes to Prepare: 30

Minutes to Cook: 90

Number of Servings: 10

Ingredients

This recipe calls for 3 cups of "Greek Tomato Sauce" which is a separate recipe and should be prepared in advance, as follows:

Topping - 1/3 cup butter (you can also use a margarine if it is made for cooking and will combine with flour to make a roux/thickener)1/2 cup flour1 quart milk (I use 1%)1 tsp salt1/4 tsp nutmeg1/2 cup grated Parmesan6 eggs, beaten (you can use egg substitute)

Cheese for garnish (optional)

Directions

Serves 10-12 as a Main Course and is made in four parts:

1- Eggplant2-Meat Sauce3-Topping4-Casserole Assembly

Slice the eggplants and sprinkle with the salt. Place in a colander to drain for 1/2 hour.

Prepare meat sauce by heating a large frying pan or porcelain-lines stove-top casserole dish and add onions and 2 tbsp olive oil. Saute until the onions are clear and then add the meat. Saute until the meat begins to brown. Add the salt and Greek Tomato Sauce and simmer for 30 minutes, uncovered. Taste for optional cinnamon and stir in the cheese. Set aside.

Rinse eggplant slices and pat dry with paper towels. Pour the 1/2 cup olive oil onto a large baking sheet and dip the slices in it, coating both sides. (You can also use a spray olive oil for this. It wastes less and is not so high in calories.) Arrange the slices on the sheet and bake at 425 for 30 minutes, turning once during this time. The slices should be tender.

Prepare the topping by melting the butter in a small frying pan and stirring in the flour, making a roux. Cook for a few moments. Heat the milk in a saucepan and stir in the butter-flour mixture, using a wire whip. Stir over medium heat until it thickens. Stir in the salt, nutmeg, and cheese. Stir 1 cup of hot sauce into the beaten eggs, using a wire whisk. Stir this mixture back into the saucepan and stir the whole over medium heat until it is thick and rich.

Casserole Construction - Arrange 1/2 of the eggplant in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan and top with the meat mixture. Place the remaining eggplant slices on the meat and pour the topping over the whole. Sprinkle a little extra cheese for garnish on top, if you wish, and bake at 350 for 1 hour.